Mustang Daily Staff Report
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The Academic Senate voted unanimously in favor of three resolutions to keep the honors program running Tuesday afternoon, with three abstaining from voting.
The decision is not official, but the resolutions serve as suggestions to Provost Kathleen Enz Finken who will make the final decision.
There were three Senate members who abstained from voting, but they did not express dissenting opinions. Board members who spoke all admitted the program had room for improvement, but agreed temporarily closing the Honors Program was not the best solution. The main reason behind this was their concern for honors students’ experiences.
The three resolutions underwent minor changes in the meeting, but their underlying principles remained unchanged.
Associated Students, Inc. (ASI) President Katie Morrow made sure the students were involved in the transition process and the Academic Senate decided to include them as well as honors faculty members to the resolutions.
The final resolutions voted on are:
- “That during the next two years the Academic Senate, honors students, faculty involved and the provost shall work with the Honors Program to establish a process that will lead to an improved Honors Program; and be it further
- That during this two-year time period, the Academic Senate and the Honors Program shall work to establish an approved curriculum and program assessment plan; and be it further
- That we (the Academic Senate) recommend that during this two-year time period, the Honors Program shall not be closed, the funding for the Honors Program shall not be reduced and new students shall continue to be admitted into the Honors Program.”
Teacher and faculty adviser for honor students Ken Brown expected the resolutions to pass, but was pleasantly surprised by the amount of votes in favor, he said.
The Academic Senate initially supported keeping the program, but there was a lot of discussion over the wording and technicalities of the resolutions, Brown said. The two-year time period and the last resolution concerning the funding for the program were both added after the first meeting.
The set time increased the support for the resolutions, he said.
Honors student and English sophomore Jennifer Dragan said she was ecstatic the Academic Senate represented the voices of the students and faculty.
Dragan is a part of the Student Advisory Committee that has been working on pushing the resolutions forward and noticed an overwhelming support from students and faculty.
“I’m very optimistic for the program,” Dragan said. “The discourse with the provost over the last few weeks has shifted, and I think it is likely she will listen to our suggestions.”
The passion for the program was reinvigorated by the provost’s initial announcement, Dragan said.
“This issue has really brought together a whole honors community of students and faculty,” Dragan said.
Sara Natividad contributed to this staff report.